John Maclauchlan Milne RSA (1885-1957), the man often labelled as the fifth, or missing, Scottish Colourist, was until the beginning of this year represented in our Collections only by his Diploma painting - Sands of Morar. Now, with the support of author Maurice Millar, we have accessioned a number of artworks, images and items belonging to Maclauchlan Milne, giving us a much more rounded picture of the artist.
The name ‘Colourists’ was coined in the 1930s, and given to a group made up of Francis C.B. Cadell RSA, John D. Fergusson, George Leslie Hunter RSA and Samuel J. Peploe RSA. They were mainly landscapists who were influenced by French Post-Impressionism, spending time painting in France and on the West Coast of Scotland. Maclauchlan Milne was in the same places, at the same times, doing the same things as the Colourists, and in 2022 he was finally accorded the first major monograph to be devoted to his life and work. The Missing Colourist - the search for John Maclauchlan Milne RSA was written and self-published by Perthshire based Maurice Millar.
Now, thanks to Maurice Millar’s enthusiasm for his subject, coupled with his diplomatic skills and the generosity of Jimmy Mackellar, one of Milne’s descendants, Milne’s Diploma painting has been joined in our Collection by four sketchbooks, a group of loose sketches, some photographs and pieces of ephemera, Milne’s Cuttings Book and two medals. Many of the sketches are of locations in Scotland and France where Milne worked, including the Isle of Arran which became his home. There is also an interesting charcoal sketch believed to have been executed by Milne whilst on active service during the First World War.
The medals that have joined the Collection are his cased bronze Associate’s Medal, presented following Maclauchlan Milne’s election at our General Assembly on 15 March 1933, and another less often encountered bronze medal presented by the global computing company IBM.
In 1938, Milne’s work at our Annual Exhibition, Iona Sound, was purchased by IBM for its corporate collection. The following year, the World Fair was held at Flushing Meadow, New York. A selection of the IBM Collection was displayed in its ‘Gallery of Science and Art’ in an exhibition titled ‘Contemporary Art of 79 Countries’. To commemorate the event, each of the 79 exhibited artists, including Milne, was presented with a specially struck Medal.
Medallic Art Company (act.1903-2018), IBM Exhibitor’s Medal, bronze, 1939.
At the time, IBM was a global leader in tabulating machinery, a precursor of the modern computer. It had grown from modest founding’s in the United States of America in 1911 to have a presence in 79 countries; hence the title of its art exhibition. The 1939 World Fair was one of the largest and most ambitious ever mounted. It looked to the future, and actively promoted internationalism and global peace and prosperity. During its run, it was visited by an estimated 45 million people. Whilst not all of these will have visited the IBM exhibition, nonetheless, it must represent the largest potential audience ever for any single picture by any of our Elected Members.
About the author
Robin Rodger
Robin H. Rodger graduated as O. E. Saunders Prizeman in Art History from the University of St Andrews in 1983, before taking his Diploma in Art Gallery and Museum Studies at the University of Manchester in 1984. The next 26 years were spent at Perth Museum and Art Gallery, and since 2013 he has been Documentation Officer with the Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture. A keen researcher, he has lectured and published widely on Perthshire artists and Perth silver, and is currently engaged in research projects relating to aspects of print and printmaking in Scotland.
